Cushion-tread horseshoe



Nov. 6, 192s. 1,690,365 R. E. FRUIN CUSHION TREAD HORSESHOE Filed Sept. 5; 1927 Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT n. FRUIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CUSHION-TREAD HORSESHOE,

Application med september 3, 1927.l serial No. 217,318.

This invention relates to horseshoes, rand has reference more particularly to a welle known `type known as cushion-tread shoes wherein the under sideof the shoe fra-me isl equipped with a rubber pad to soften theimpact of the shoe on the pavement. Y

A large variety of horseshoes of this type hasheretofore been proposed and disclosed in Letters Patent and other literature on the subject, and manyof such shoes have gone into extensive use. In one type of cushiontread shoe, which has met with considerable favor, the cushion d has been formed in its n lower or under sur ace with one or more cavities or cups designed to afford a suction effeet, under' the squeezing and partial flatten-` ing of the yieldable cushion on the ground, and thereby give a Inoresure foothold and lessen the danger nf-slipping, on the same principle by which a rubber hemisphere, if

pressed down on a smooth surface and the contained air partially squeezed out around its edges, clings tothe surface. However, in

many shoes ofl this vacuurnrup type with whichI am acquainted, the cup or cups have `heretofore been too small to have muchfsuction eiect, or their walls have not beenof equal and uniformheight so as to alford continuous cont-act with theground or pavement at all points on their edges. Furthermore,

many of these vacuum orfsuction cups have heretofore extended only partially through the pad, and not entirely therethrough, thus limiting the ventilation of the frog portion of the animals hoof to such small amount of air as may find its wayin through the rear of the hoof above theupper rear portion of the shoe. Of course, in many cushiondread shoes, the frame of the shoehas been equipped with an open pad covering the front and side portions of the frame but not extending across the gap at the heel; but of course such shoes l are in no sense vvacuum-cup shoes,'since the gap at the heel of the shoe prevents any suction eect. i t, ,y l

`In another known type of cushion-tread horseshoe, the bottomof the shoe frame has been formed with a continuous slot or channel in its side. toe and heel portionsin which is fitted a cushion pad, the latter in some in stances including an integral heel portion bridging therrear ends of the shoe frame. My present invention relaties tothis type of shoe, and has forits main object tofprovide an improved" construction providing better wearing qualities and greater durability, maximum suction, andA hoof-Ventilating ete fects, lessened liability of ballingr and more perfect anchorage .of the pad-on the frame.

I have also found that a. very durable con- V struction of cushion pad is obtained by pro-f.` viding a wide heel portion with a fiat bearing surface in" association with a semi-oval side` and toe portion of considerably less width and formed with a. transversely convex or rounded bearing surface which, of course, is; more or less flattened when under weight, the y transversely rounded or gene-rally rope-like form of the said side and toe portion -being less. liable to be cutand frayed by the edges i i Y companying drawing wherein I have illustrated a preferred Vembodiment of the invention, and inwhich 1 v Fig. -1 is a. bottom plan view of themetal l horseshoe frame; l f

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the same, with the cushion pad applied thereto; and

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are crossesections taken on the lines 3 3, 1L- 74, and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 2. 1

The frame of the shoe, best shown in Fig. 1 anddesignated as an entiretyby 10, is a. metal forging having the usual horseshoe outline form. In thekforging operation the metal is so distributed as to form on the bottom of the frame a continuous inner wall 11 bordering the inner edges of the toe and side portions" of the frame, outer side walls 12 opposite to and parallel with `the side `portions of the y inner Wall 11, outer side walls 13 bordering the outer and rear'edges of the heel portions of theframe and connected with therear ends of the walls 12 by oblique connecting walls 14, and a forwardly offset outer toe walll between and continuous with the outer side walls 12. The outer side walls 12 are hi gher than the inner wall 11, as shown in Fig'. el, and are set inwardly from the outer side edges of the frame to provide space for the usual nailing holes 1G, while the offset tip or toe wall 15 of substantially the same height as the side walls 12 borders the outer front edge of the frame. The described disposition of the walls 11, 12 and 15 creates between them a continuous narrow channel or groove 17, having a central widened toe portion 17 between the walls 11 and 15. The walls 13 and 1li and the rear end portions of the walls 11 form between them widened rear or heel extensions 17 of the channels 17 that constitute pockets for the end portions of the rubber heel pad 18 that bridges across the rear ends of the frame, there being gaps between the rear ends of the walls 11 and 13 through which the heel pad 1S extends. The bottoms of the pockets 17n are formed with holes 19 through which the rubber of the pad 18 is forced, before vulcanization, and spread on the upper face of the frame. shown at 2O in Fig. 5, to key the heel pad in place.

Continuous at its rear ends with the end portions of the heel pad 18 and occupying the channel 17 and its widened portion or pocket 17 is a semi-oval side and toe pad, the side portions 21 of which, fillingr the channels 17, are of oval form in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 4, the toe portion Q1 being somewhat widened at its base to lill the toe pocket 17 of the frame, as shown in Fig. 3. The bottom or wearing; surface of this side and toe pad is Hush and in the same flat plane with the bottom or wearing surface of the heel pad 18; and since the wearing surfaces of the two pads are continuous, a large central vacuum or suction cup is formed extending through both the frame and the annule rubber cushion on the bottom of the frame, and all points on the wearing surface or rim of this vacuum cup are pressed into contact with thc fiat surface of the parement or roadway, so that under normal conditions a strong antislipping suction effect is secured. In mud or snow, of course. the opening becomes more or less filled and packed. but in such a case the large size of the openinaf and the downwardly and outwardly iiarine; form of its walls facilitate the discharge of the packed-in material when the animals hoof is raised from the ground. Also, the transversely rounded form of the side and toc portions of the pad prevents the cutting: and frayingr of the rubber on the edges of the channel walls as the pad is compressed, and thus increases the durability and life of the shoe. Since in service there is greater outward than inward side thrust on the portions Q1 of the pad. the outer walls 1Q are advantageously made somewhat higher than the inner wall 11.

In the manufacture of the shoe, an annular pad of raw rubber possessing roughly the size :nd form of the finished pad is laid on the channeled side of the shoe trame. and the frame and pad are then tigfhll)Y clamped in a vulcanizing mold, one Vtace of which is shaped to an impression of the bearing surface ot the pad so that under the stpieexingi' action ol' the mold the pad is given its liual or iinished form; and the mold is then placed in the vulcant/,ineA oven. The pad is strongly united to the frame by a well-known treatment which consists in first dippingT the frame in a copper sulphate solution, which deposits a copper film on the frame that acts as a bindingmedium for the rubber and the metal. Asshown in Fig. Q, the wearingr surface of the heel pad 18 is preferably roughened or corrugated, as indicated, but this feature is well-known in the art and forms no part of the present invention.

I claim- 1. In a cushion-pad horseshoe of the type described, the combination of a metal shoe frame formed with a channel on its under side. said channel having widened heel and toe portions, a wide heel pad seated at its ends in said widened heel portions of the channel and bridging the rear ends of said frame, said heel pad having a flat wearing surface, and a narrow semi-oval side and toe pad seated in the side and toe portions of said channel, said side and toe pad formed with a transversely convert ground-engaging portion projecting,r below said channel with its wearing surface continuous and fiush with the wearing surface of said heel pad.

2. In a cushion-pad horseshoe of the type described, the combination of a metal shoe frame formed on its under side with an inner wall bordering'the inner edge thereof and a higher outer wall having4 laterali)7 offset toc and heel portions, said inner and outer walls forming,Y between them a channel having widened heel and toe portions, a wide heel pad at its ends filling said channel heel portions and bridging the rear ends of said frame, said heel pad having a flat wearing surface, and a narrow semi-oval side and toe pad fillinflr the side and toc portions of said channel, said side and toe pa d formed with a transversely convex ground-enga,einer portion projectingT below said channel with its wearing' surface continuous and flush with the wearing;r surface of said heel pad.

3. In a cushion-pad horseshoe of the type described, the combination of a metal shoe frame formed on its under side with an inner wall borderingr the inner edge thereof and terminating,Ir short of its rear end and a higher outer wall having a forwardly offset toe portion and outwardly offset heel portions borderingr the rear outer side and end portions of said framesaid inner and outer walls formingr between them a channel harinar widened heel and toe portions, the bottoms of said heel por lli l liti tions having apertures, awide heel pad at its ends filling seid channel heel portions ,and

anchored thereto through said aperturesandy bridging the rear ends of said frame, said heel 5 pad having a Het Wearing surface, and a narrow semi-oval side and toe pad filling the side and toe portions of said channel, said side and toe pad formed with a transversely conveX ground-engaging portion projecting be- 10W said channel with its Wearing surface continuous and flush With the Wearing surface of said heel pad.

ROBERT E. FRUIN. 

